Massimo D'Alema

Massimo D'Alema (20 April 1949-) was Prime Minister of Italy from 21 October 1998 to 25 April 2000, succeeding Romano Prodi and preceding Giuliano Amato. He was a member of the Democrats of the Left, having formerly served as an Italian Communist Party leader nad as Secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left. D'Alema was a social democrat, supporting the renovation of Marxism in the PDS to create a modern European social democratic party.

Early career
Massimo D'Alema was born in Rome, Italy in 1949, and he worked as a journalist before entering politics. He was a notable member of the Italian Communist Party before its transformation into the Democratic Party of the Left in 1991 and into the Democrats of the Left in 1998. He served as Secretary of the PDS from 1994 to 1998 and of the DS in 1998, and he became President of the DS and Prime Minister of Italy that same year. He was the first former communist to become the prime minister of a NATO country and the first Prime Minister of Italy born after the founding of the republic in 1946.

Premiership
During his premiership, Italy took part in the bombing of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War, and the attack was supported by Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right opposition, while the far-left opposed it. He left office in 2000, and he went on to serve as an MEP from 2003 to 2006 before becoming a contender for the presidency in 2006, although he instead endorsed Giorgio Napolitano. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Deputy Prime Minister.